What Goes On Salad

Whether you are making a house salad in a small bowl or a large salad bowl these toppings are a perfect answer for What Goes On Salad.

I always like to make salads ahead of time and I highly recommend it, so that busy families have some time to relax around the kitchen and not have to worry about washing and prepping all the things that go into a salad.

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Classic House Salad

A house salad recipe starts with fresh crisp lettuce. We use romaine lettuce (not just the hearts) and can easily sit in the fridge overnight. Just leave the salad dressing and croutons off until you serve.

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Croutons
• Cheddar cheese
• Red onion

Tossed Salad

A tossed salad can look different in each household.

The premise is that you want leafy greens, fresh veggies, and usually olive oil but you can switch it out if you like (more about this below when we talk about house salad dressings).

• Shredded carrot
• Grape tomatoes
• Radish
• Cucumber
• Corn
• Red onion
• Crouton

Make it Italian

• Pickeled banana peppers
• Red onions
• Italian olives
• Roma tomatoes
• Italian meats ( soppressata, prosciutto, pancetta)

Serve immediately.

House Salad Dressing

Red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, salt is all you need for a traditional house salad dressing.

You can change it up a little by adding herbs to the dressing. Remember not too much, or they will overpower the dressing and salad.

You can change it up a little by using different types of oil. For example, sliced avocado oil, rich and nutty walnut oil, or hazelnut oil would all be great ideas.

Be sure to switch your red wine vinegar out to for a little variety. I love using champagne vinegar, apple cider, rice wine vinegar, and white vinegar as options.

You can even use lime or lemon juice as an alternative

Salad Toppings

Salad toppings can make a significant difference in the way you view your salad.

Instead of always adding cheddar cheese to your salad try adding something different. Here are some great alternatives that can make a major difference with a simple scattering.

Types of cheese for a salad

Goat cheese, blue cheese, Oaxaca cheese, shaved parmesan cheese, feta cheese, Manchego cheese, mozzarella, and gorgonzola all offer a tang and saltiness to your salad.

Optional Salad Add-Ins

Flavoring your salad with dressing and cheese is great. But you can also add a variety of nuts, veggies, and fruit to the mix as well.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Seeds and Nuts: Sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, hemp seeds, toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, candied walnut, or pecans

Beans (protein): black beans, kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, lentils

Jarred Veggies: marinated artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, black olives, banana peppers, olives (stuffed with garlic, cheese or jalapenos), pickled cherry peppers (I like hot cherry peppers) — https://amzn.to/3AjVSS8 — pickled jalapenos

Fresh Veggies (or roasted): Red Onion, sliced bell peppers, corn, celery, cherry tomatoes, avocado, roasted vegetables, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus, spinach

Protein(cooked): salmon, chicken, steak, pork, shrimp, tofu, scallops, orange roughy, fried chicken, bacon, brisket, pulled pork, hard-boiled egg, fried egg, rotisserie chicken, chicken salad, edamame, turkey, crab cakes, tuna, bulgogi beef, Gyro meat

Fresh or Dehydrated Fruit: Apple, thinly sliced figs, dried cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges, mango

Fresh or Jarred Herbs: basil, mint, oregano, chives, green onions, parsley, dill

Other: water chestnuts, crispy noodles, wonton strips — https://amzn.to/33CVzGh —

I hope that this salad inspiration has you drooling over all the possibilities of how yo can may an everyday salad just a bit better or even a main dish.